Now Under Pressure as Outrage Mounts: Imane Khelif Told to Return Olympic Gold.

Now Under Pressure as Outrage Mounts: Imane Khelif Told to Return Olympic Gold.

(Around the World)

The news as it trends.

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, 26, who won gold in the women’s 66kg welterweight division at the Paris 2024 Olympics, is once again at the center of controversy.

The International Boxing Association (IBA) is now demanding that she return her medal, citing failed gender eligibility tests from 2022 and 2023, which reportedly indicated she possesses XY chromosomes.

Khelif was previously disqualified from the 2023 Women’s World Boxing Championships, but the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed her to compete in Paris, stating she met all eligibility requirements based on legal documentation and international medical standards.

The IOC dismissed the IBA’s tests as “not legitimate,” sparking a fierce standoff between the two governing bodies.

Despite the IBA’s demands, they do not have the authority to strip Khelif of her medal. Only the IOC can make that decision—and so far, they’ve stood by her.

If Khelif refuses to return the medal, there are currently no formal consequences.

Still, the pressure from boxing officials and public scrutiny continues to mount.

Her case has sparked a wider debate on gender, biology, and the future of women’s athletics.

The controversy first emerged in 2023, when the IBA disqualified her over similar eligibility concerns.

But she returned to the world stage at Paris 2024 and won gold, representing Algeria, her home country.

Born in Aïn Sidi Ali, in Algeria’s Laghouat Province, and raised in the rural village of Biban Mesbah in the Tiaret Province, Khelif continues to live and train in Algeria today.

Despite the renewed pressure in 2025, there’s no indication the IOC will rescind her Olympic title.

For now, her medal stands and so does the conversation around it.

Yetunde B reports for Yeyetunde’s Blog.